On This Day
533 – Mercurius becomes Pope John II, the first pope to adopt a new name upon elevation to the papacy.[3]
Pope John II (Latin: Ioannes II; died 8 May 535), born Mercurius, was the bishop of Rome from 2 January 533 to his death. As a priest at St. Clement’s Basilica, he endowed that church with gifts and commissioned stone carvings for it. Mercurius became the first pope to adopt a new Papal name upon his elevation to the office. During his pontificate, John II notably removed Bishop Contumeliosus of Riez from his office, convened a council on the readmission of Arian clergy, and approved an edict of emperor Justinian, promulgating doctrine opposed by his predecessor, Pope Hormisdas.
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69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor.[1]
The gens Vitellia was a family of ancient Rome, which rose from obscurity in imperial times, and briefly held the Empire itself in AD 69. The first of this gens to obtain the consulship was Aulus Vitellius, uncle of the emperor Vitellius, in AD 32.[1]
Born On This Day
869 – Yōzei, Japanese emperor (d. 949)[35]
Emperor Yōzei (陽成天皇, Yōzei-tennō, January 2, 869 – October 23, 949) was the 57th emperor of Japan,[1] according to the traditional order of succession.[2]
Yōzei’s reign spanned the years from 876 through 884.[3]
1611 – James Harrington, English political theorist (d. 1677)[53]
James Harrington (or Harington) (3 January 1611 – 11 September 1677) was an English political theorist of classical republicanism.[1] He is best known for his controversial publication The Commonwealth of Oceana (1656). This work was an exposition of an ideal constitution, a utopia, designed to facilitate the development of the English republic established after the regicide, the execution of Charles I in 1649.
FYI
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
This Day in Tech History
The Marginalian (Brain Pickings): May Sarton on how to live with tenderness in a harsh world, Nick Cave on the antidote to our helplessness, the seamstress who solved a science mystery
The Marginalian (Brain Pickings): Love, music, solitude, and how to be more alive — the best of The Marginalian 2022, in one place
Interesting Facts: 8 Presidential Myths, Debunked
Interesting Facts: 7 Mind-Bending Examples of the Mandela Effect
The New York Times: Do You Know Where These Authors (and Their Characters) Have Lived?
By Marty Kaufman, Mashable: The deep sea discoveries and sightings of 2022 are fascinating “You’re always finding things you haven’t seen before.”
By Zoe Sottile, CNN: This wildlife rehabilitator rescued over 1,600 bats during Houston cold snap
Ted Talks: The affordable, 3D-printed bionics of the future
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Wilson Combat: Gun Free Zones – Massad Ayoob offers the Solution to Stop Mass School Shootings. Critical Mas EP49
Cleared Hot Episode 266 – Vaughn Stumpf
Kevin Owens: THE FENIAN BROTHERHOOD
Ideas
glassic touch: Recycled Bottle Christmas Ornament
By Leotse: Satelight – More Light in Your Home Is More Light in Your Heart
By uersel: Buggy Trike
By mrstapleton: 2-Dog Backpack Boat: the Dogmaran
Recipes
By Katie Lee Biegel, Food Network: Roasted Veggie Taco Skillet
Julia From The Yummy Bowl: Low Carb Lettuce Wraps
Julia From The Yummy Bowl: NEW Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli
By Jeromina: Coffee Bean Donuts (w/ Coffee Cream Filling)
Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.
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RecipeTinEats
- Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel June 12, 2026Firstly, thank you for the Jaffle love. 🥰 Hit the Jaffle button above to see what he got up to today! Secondly – cake. Specifically, Coffee Cake! A classic crumb cake with a jammy cinnamon ribbon, loaded with lots and lots of nubbly, extra crunchy cinnamon streusel. Outrageously good. Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel This... […]Nagi
- Introducing Jaffle! June 10, 2026Meet Jaffle! Future Chief Taste Tester. Son of a Dozer friend. A little bundle of golden, fluffy joy! 48 hours of instant happiness I didn’t expect to get a new puppy so soon after saying goodbye to Dozer. To be honest, I wasn’t sure when I’d be ready. And I had it in my head... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 13 June 13, 2026Picture of the day An image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on a stained-glass window located in a church in St. Peters, Missouri. Today is the feast day of the Immaculate Heart in the Roman Catholic Church.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for June 12 June 12, 2026Picture of the day A memorial to victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in front the Stonewall Inn in New York City. On June 12, 2016, a terrorist shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, USA.
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Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!
Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.
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